Teens performing in All Rights Preserved concert
Arlington Advocate
Thursday, May 25, 2006

On Sunday, June 4, from 4 to 10:30 p.m., area teens enrolled in the Needham-based Plugged In Teen Band Program will perform a benefit concert for Axis of Justice and Amnesty International. Each of the 15 bands participating in the All Rights Preserved concert at Arlington's Regent Theatre will be making their debut public performance. Special guest appearances are promised, as well.
        Plugged In is a nonprofit program established by Tom Pugh and Sandra Rizkallah to provide area youth with the opportunity to work together in bands, building self-confidence and developing performance skills and songwriting abilities. Twice a year, participating teens select a charity and perform a benefit concert on its behalf.
        Rizkallah considers the charitable aspect of the Plugged In program as its primary mission.
        "Allowing the kids to select a charity and stage a benefit concert for that cause emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community and using music to make positive change in the world," she said. "We want our students to recognize that talent and hard work can have a payoff much bigger than financial success or fame."
        This year's chosen beneficiaries are dedicated to promoting social justice and human rights. Axis of Justice is a nonprofit organization founded by Tom Morello of Audioslave and Serj Tankian of System of a Down to bring together musicians, fans and grassroots political groups to fight for social justice together.
        One of the groups with which Axis of Justice has partnered on multiple occasions is Amnesty International - the worldwide movement of people campaigning for internationally recognized human rights. Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.
        Previous Plugged In concerts have benefited organizations including Seeds of Peace, which brings together Arab and Jewish teenagers to learn conflict resolution skills and develop trust and empathy; the Tobacco Free Mass Coalition; The I Love Music Foundation, established by Boston Celtic Walter McCarty to promote music opportunities for Boston youth; the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care; the tsunami aid organization Music for Relief; and the Elias Fund, providing financial support for the education of underprivileged youth in Zimbabwe.
        Among those who have joined the Plugged In teens at previous concerts are local sports stars Walter McCarty and Doug Flutie, musician Chad Urmston of Dispatch, and Zimbabwean world music superstar Thomas Mapfumo.
        The Plugged In bands performing at the All Rights Preserved concert include teens from Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Dover, Framingham, Franklin, Holbrook, Hopkinton, Medfield, Natick, Needham, Newton, Northborough, North Chelmsford, Sherborn, Wellesley and Westwood.
        Tickets for the All Rights Preserved concert are $15 for students and $20 for adults. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Regent Theatre at 781-646-4849 or online at www.regenttheatre.com.
        For more information about the Plugged In Teen Band program and the All Rights Preserved benefit concert, please visit www.pluggedinband.org or call 781-956-4281. For more information about Axis of Justice, please visit www.axisofjustice.org. For more information about Amnesty International, please visit www.amnestyusa.org.